Being healthy is not just about having a proper, balanced diet or being physically active. You can eat your veggies, drink your morning smoothies, run, exercise all you want, but if you don’t care about your emotional and mental health, it’s pointless.
Self-care is much more than treating yourself to a shopping. It’s an action or behavior that helps us avoid triggering health issues and benefits us by improving our mental health through decreasing the stress in our lives, increasing our self-esteem and providing balance in this over-stimulating world.
So, to all of you who weren’t feeling like yourselves lately, I believe it’s time for you to take this “treat yourself” thing a bit more seriously.
Here are 30 self-care activities you should definitely start today:
1. Start by cutting off everything and everyone that makes you feel unworthy, uninspired, and miserable. You cannot move forward if negativity is pulling you back.
2. Take a large garbage bag and get rid of everything that you no longer use. Declutter your room in order to declutter your mind. The dustier your room, the lower the energy that is vibrating around you.
3. Move on to your online accounts and unfollow everyone who makes you feel bad about yourself. Be happy about who you are
4. Stop for a second and enjoy your surroundings. Don’t take photos, don’t scroll your Instagram, don’t arrange anything, stop fishing for likes. Your life isn’t your Instagram feed, it’s the reality around you.
5. Make that appointment at your psychiatrist you’ve been dreading for so long. Show up even if you’re anxious.
Additionally, make sure to visit a physician and a dental professional like this dentist who does teeth whitening in Cleveland regularly.
6. Open a diary and start writing about your daily experiences. It doesn’t matter if sometimes there’s nothing interesting to share, it’s the consistency that counts. Learn to identify your emotions, notice your behavior patterns and document them in your journal.
7. Download some thought-provoking podcasts that pique your interest and listen to them every time you’re driving around in your car.
8. Delete the contacts from your phone, mail and computer that you don’t recognize, or you haven’t spoken in years. You’ll feel liberating, believe me.
9. Improve your life one step at a time. Drink more water. Start your morning with a fruit salad. Eat your greens. Go to sleep earlier than usual. Add exercise to your daily routine. You can go to the gym, run, walk, ride a bike, take a Pilates course, dance, it’s your call. It’s okay if you 10 minutes of running it’s all you can do. Don’t give up. Next time, try 15.
10. Go to the library and pick a book that actually interests you. Stop trying to look smart by reading something that is actually trending right now. Stick to what makes your soul flourish.
11. Take some time off to be with yourself. Don’t worry what others might say or think about your need for quarantine. Get over the “socially acceptable” and do what makes you feel good.
12. If you feel like you desperately need to leave your job because it’s destroying you both physically and mentally, start taking on some side projects, courses and classes that actually pique your interest. Figure out your new path before you give on everything else and end up confused about how you’re going to pay your next month’s rent.
13. If someone is rude to you, let them know. Be polite and tell them that what they said hurt your feelings. If you don’t dare to speak up for yourself, you’ll always be the victim.
14. Make your home a warm and comfortable place. Wash your clothes, buy new linens, change your curtains, rearrange the furniture, buy some flowers, put on scented candles. Changes are always welcome. They are an essential part of our lives.
15. Plan a weekend getaway. Somewhere you’ve never been before. But, try to keep it spontaneous. No apartments available? No biggie, bring your tent and your hammock and make yourself a cozy little camp in the forest.
16. Give the “meal preps” thing a chance. Prepare your food before the work week starts. Pack your breakfast, lunch, coffee, choose your outfit and fill your water bottle. I guarantee you, this will make mornings go smoothly.
17. The next time you actually miss a person, don’t wait for them to call. Instead, pick up the phone yourself and make plans to see each other. Do what you say more than you actually say that you’ll eventually do.
18. Don’t focus on thinking what you hate about your life, wish you had or what you want to be. Focus on who you are right now, what you’re creating and how all of that defines you.
19. Stop trying to succeed at everything. You don’t need to be the best cook, perform like a CEO, workout like a beast and take the best blogger photos at the same time. Pick a few activities that you really enjoy doing and work hard to improve yourself in those fields. Quality over quantity.
20. Embrace being ordinary. There’s nothing wrong with it. In a world where being average means being worthless, dare to stay just the way you are.
21. But, be willing to see your life change. Changes are an important part of our existence. They help us grow and develop ourselves. Don’t be afraid to make that first step.
22. Make more time for the people you care about. Call your friends and go hiking. Invite your family over for a nice, cozy dinner. Tell your parents how much you love them. Talk to your siblings about what bothers you. Just be there.
23. Learn to identify your emotions. When an uncomfortable feeling comes up, name it and take responsibility for it. Accept yourself with all of your flaws.
24. Figure out how you can monetize your hobby.
25. Read the motivational stories from people who struggled in life, but still managed to find their way out and pursue their passions. Let their words guide your way and inspire you of making the first step towards change.
26. Build yourself some online portfolio or simply an online profile where you’ll post and write about things you are interested in.
27. Make a worry list. Every time something bothers you, write it down. It will not only help you get over the moment, but it will be a reminder of your behavior patterns. Something you can come back to and review every time you work on yourself.
28. But, don’t forget to make a wish list as well. Whatever it is that you want to buy, put it on your wish list. At the end of the month, treat yourself to few of those things.
29. Work on yourself and be humble. Instead of always trying to be the best at everything, try to remind yourself that there are more important values than being the greatest.
30. Stop expecting life to be good, especially if you don’t anything to improve it. Instead of desperately trying to look happy, try accepting the fact that the bad moments are also a part of your life. Embrace those mixed feelings, accept life for its unpredictability.
